Man Shot At Detroit Gas Station, Reportedly Over Price Of Condoms

The BP Station on Fenkell in Detroit where a customer was shot, reportedly over the price of a box of condoms. (WWJ Photo/Beth Fisher)

DETROIT (WWJ) – A man was shot and killed Friday night after an apparent dispute over the price of condoms at a Detroit gas station.

WWJ’s Beth Fisher spoke to an employee at the BP gas station on Fenkell and Meyers, where the shooting took place on the city’s westside overnight. The employee said the argument was apparently over the price of a box of condoms.

He said the customer bought a box of condoms, but made a comment that he was overcharged and could have bought them somewhere else for a cheaper price. After being told he couldn’t get a refund, the customer allegedly began tossing items off the shelves. That’s when, according to the employee, the overnight clerk came out with a gun and fired a warning shot, which struck the customer in the shoulder.

Police say the customer was taken to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Ron Scott, with the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, said they are working on conflict resolution between gas station owners and Detroiters, something they will be discussing at a meeting on Sunday.

“We can’t have this kind of attitude and this kind of disrespect for life. Whether it happens to people who work in the gas station or definitely if it happens to people in the community. From what I’m understanding, the price of a condom should not be somebody’s life,” said Scott.

Police say the store clerk, whose name has not been released, is in custody. An investigation is ongoing.

The shooting comes during an increase of violent crime in Detroit.

In another recent incident at a gas station, an 86-year-old World War II veteran was assaulted and his car was stolen in broad daylight. After several people passed by him as he crawled, unable to walk because his leg was broken in the attack, the man tried to pay a stranger to drive him home. The good Samaritan man drove him for free, and called an ambulance. Days later, a 21-year-old suspect was arrested. Charges are pending.

Detroit Councilman Kwame Kenyatta is drafting an ordinance that would require gas station owners to hire security guards to protect the public.

“And as we watch this man was beaten on camera and crawled into the station, never once did I see the proprietor, as well as the people who were going to that gas station, help that individual. We are saying secure your facility, safeguard us as a community,” said Kenyatta.

Scott said part of the problem is the general relationship between customers in the communities and gas station owners and employees.

“The problem basically is that you have people who work in the stations who do not have a reasonable relationship with the community, where the respect for the dollars that they spend is accorded to them in the terms of human respect. On the other hand, you do have people in the neighborhood who come in, or people who might engage in negative activity, where the lives of the owners are threatened,” said Scott.

What it comes down to, said Scott, is respect.

“I’ve been in similar situations in some of these stores where I’ve been disrespected. And now we’re talking about young, specifically African-American men. One of the major things in the community that you want is respect… and I think people here don’t have skills in terms of de-escalation of violence,” said Scott.

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while shooting the man was inappropriate action, isn’t it convenient how the media publicizes this story in the wake of the contraceptive controversy? if the man wanted free condoms there are clinics all over the place, you don’t have to pay. so why should this shop owner suffer this man’s idiocy over the cost, as well as have the media kick him for not tolerating this idiots behavior? shooting the man was inappropriate, but the idiot should have went to the clinic if he didn’t wanna pay the price asked

Obama has created this climate of negativity…group attitude can always be traced to the top. It’s a fact. It makes me want to hurl when I hear him say ” we need more civility.”. He doesn’t show it and no one else will. I am fed up with him!

i cannot agree anymore ,people die over a piece of cheap rubber ,when they are so abundant even for free ,he should be charged for conspiracy to keep free people uninformed ,yes desinformation can be deadly !!

I’d give them something to respect too if they trashed my store, a .45 slug in their dumb ass. And boo hoo hoo to the people saying the store owners need to be more “polite” when the local thugs not not respect other people’s property or livelihoods. We need a new reality show “ESCAPE FROM DETROIT”.

Welcome to the America Wall Street built. When one class gets to break the rules with impunity no one will respect any laws. Thank the one percent for proving that fraud, corruption and money are the only thing respectable in America now.

..bail outs for the rich, crime for the poor and endless poverty, Jefferson would be so proud.

Turn the clerk loose! Just because you own or work in a retail establishment does not mean you are fair game for every A.H. that thinks he can come in, raise hell and get something for nothing! good riddance to bad rubbish, move along folks, nothing to see here!

Black community leaders would do well to get used to this happening. It will only escalate until they get out and start telling these young thugs that crime may well result in a fatal outcome. People are tired of being afraid and will soon start taking action to retake the communities they call home. With concealed carry laws being passed every day there will be more and more wolves hidden among the sheep to take out these lowlife predators. Nobody is entitled to respect it is earned by behaviour not from skin color. Better tell your young ones that times are changing and get rich rich or die trying will more and more end up with the latter result.

Well I give they guy a tip of the hat not wanting to burden the taxpayers with any more babies. Maybe he should have protested to Barry Soetoro that it’s a mans RIGHT to contraception and that the government should pay for it.

Did this idiot condom shopper ask about the price before he paid, or is that requiring too much common sense? Did he not know prices are inflated at these ‘convenience-marts’ ? Does planned parenthood not advertise in Destroit, because if he planned ahead (sure) he could have gotten them for free. Then he acts out when he doesn’t like the price and trashes the place. To hell with the warning shot, shoot the idiot dead on the spot. Make the storeowner a hero. Who could respect this customer exhibiting this behavior, which became scary enough to make the clerk want to protect himself. This isn’t about respect; it is all about entitlement mentality.

Kenyata, To reign is worth ambition though in Hell. He’s mining the same economically and culturally impoverished sea of tortured souls as are the merchants, except he conceals his contempt. If he cared one whit for the residents of the neighbrohood, he and his fellow parasites would detach and allow an objective management team to attempt to restore some semblance of civilization.